PM Modi reviews steps taken to reduce under-nutrition

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday reviewed the progress and efforts being made to prevent and reduce under-nutrition and related problems in India.

The high-level review meeting was attended by officials from PMO, NITI Aayog and other Ministries.

The current status of malnutrition, stunting and related problems was reviewed. Successful nutrition initiatives in some other developing countries came up for discussion.

The Prime Minister stressed on the need to work towards concrete objectives to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, low birth weight, and anaemia. He emphasized that visible and measurable results should be seen by 2022, the 75th anniversary of independence.

Towards this end, real-time monitoring towards the progress of nutrition outcomes was discussed, especially in the worst performing districts.

Senior officials repeatedly emphasized that initiatives of the Union Government such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Mission Indradhanush, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao, and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana etc, are having a positive impact on nutrition. In this context, the Prime Minister called for convergence among all schemes of Union and State Governments, which directly or indirectly have an impact on nutrition outcomes.

He said raising social awareness towards the importance of nutrition is necessary, to achieve the desired results. He stressed the importance of using informal channels to generate this awareness.